Aria’s POV

I had promised myself I would never face Alpha Kael again. My heart had already been torn apart, and my wolf had cried herself hoarse in the nights that followed. But when Elder Naomi—the woman who had loved me like her own—personally asked me to attend the Dravenwood Crescent Moon Gathering, I didn’t have the strength to refuse.

Naomi Dravenwood was more than Kael’s mother. After the war took my parents, she had become my second home, my second mother. Turning my back on her kindness felt impossible.

So a few days later, dressed in a flowing midnight-blue gown that fit the theme of the evening, I stood at the entrance of the grand hall. Moonlight in the shape of a crescent filtered through the towering windows, spilling silver light over the gleaming floors. High-ranking wolves filled the room, their conversations weaving together into a low hum of laughter and gossip beneath the glow of chandeliers.

And then I saw them.

Kael and Livia.

Even from across the hall, the sight of them cut straight through me. They stood far too close to each other. Her fingers brushed against his arm as she leaned in to whisper something that made him smile. My stomach twisted painfully. That smile—once, I believed it belonged to me alone.

Before I even crossed the threshold, my ears caught the hushed murmurs drifting through the air.

“Look at them… the Alpha treats that omega like she’s the real fiancée.”

“Poor Aria. She’s the one who was promised to him—the one meant to be Luna.”

“Gratitude only goes so far… he looks like he’s in love.”

Each word sliced deeper than claws. I clenched my hands and inhaled slowly, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin, torn between lashing out and hiding away.

I lifted my chin and stepped inside.

At once, the room fell quiet. Conversations faded, replaced by the weight of countless eyes turning toward me.

Kael noticed me immediately. For the briefest moment, something flickered across his face—surprise, maybe guilt, maybe something softer. He shifted as if to come toward me. But Livia was quicker. With a practiced ease, she slipped her hand through his arm and held him there with a gentle smile.

I didn’t hesitate. I walked past them as though they were nothing more than passing shadows and made my way to a seat tucked away in the far corner of the hall. My wolf whimpered softly, but I forced her still.

Kael lingered for a moment, then allowed Livia to cling to him. He didn’t move away. He didn’t try again.

That silence said everything.

The evening carried on around me, though it felt like time dragged its claws through my chest. Music filled the hall, glasses clinked together, laughter rose and fell—but all I could hear were the whispers circling like vultures overhead.

“Why hasn’t the Alpha claimed Aria yet?”

“She’s supposed to be the Luna.”

My attention snapped toward the sound, and I realized the murmurs weren’t rumors anymore. Kael stood near the center of the room, speaking to a small group of elders, his voice carrying clearly.

“It was Aria who chose to end things between us,” he said.

A ripple of gasps spread through the hall. Heads turned, eyes darting between him and me.

My chest tightened painfully. He didn’t even try to deny it. He declared it openly, making it seem like I had abandoned him. My wolf whimpered in confusion and hurt.

The whispers grew sharper.

“The future Luna, leaving her mate?”

“And the omega who saved his life—two women, two different fates.”

“One prayed for him beneath the Moon. The other shed blood for him.”

I wanted to shout that it wasn’t so simple. That I had prayed, bled, sacrificed more than anyone could see. But my voice would only be swallowed by the noise.

Before the murmurs could grow louder, Elder Naomi’s voice cut through the hall like a blade.

“Kael!” She strode across the room, fury blazing in her eyes. “Have you lost your mind? The girl at your side is not your fiancée. Aria is. And you will treat her with the respect she deserves.”

The hall fell into stunned silence. Naomi’s anger carried the weight of authority, her presence commanding even without the Alpha title. Kael stiffened under her gaze, his jaw tightening.

But before the tension could escalate, I forced a small smile, even though my lips trembled.

“There’s no need, Elder Naomi,” I said gently, my voice steady despite the ache. “It’s true. We’re no longer together. Alpha Kael doesn’t owe me anything anymore.”

The room erupted into louder murmurs. My wolf whimpered again, but I forced her into silence. I would not fall apart in front of them.

The air suddenly felt too heavy to breathe.

I slipped away quietly and stepped out onto the balcony, where the cool night air brushed against my skin and the crescent moon hung high above. I rested my hands on the railing and inhaled deeply, trying to quiet the storm raging inside me.

But peace never lasted when Livia was nearby.

Her footsteps were soft, her perfume unmistakable as she joined me outside. A smug curve tugged at her lips.

“You do realize,” she said lightly, “it’s only a matter of time before Kael is completely mine. Naomi can lecture him all she wants, but she doesn’t get to decide who he chooses as his mate.”

I said nothing, my grip on the railing tightening until my knuckles turned white.

She leaned closer, her voice lowering into something cold and sharp. “The only reason Naomi ever favored you was out of pity. She was close to your late mother, so she felt sorry for you. But pity isn’t enough to keep a man. Nothing is.”

My wolf bristled inside me, a low growl building in her chest. I tried to stay calm. Tried to let it pass.

Then she struck where it would hurt most.

“You don’t even have a real family left anyway, do you?” she whispered cruelly. “They all died like cowards.”

My vision went red.

The crack of my hand against her cheek rang out across the balcony. Livia stumbled backward, her eyes wide with shock. For a brief, blazing moment, satisfaction surged through me at finally silencing her.

Then she began to cry—loud, exaggerated sobs like a wounded child. She clutched her cheek dramatically and turned toward the doorway where people had gathered, drawn by the noise.

“She attacked me!” Livia wailed. “I was just telling her not to be upset with Alpha Kael, and she lashed out at me!”

Gasps spread through the crowd. Faces turned toward me—some shocked, others already judging.

And then Kael appeared.

His gaze shifted from Livia’s tears to my trembling hand. His expression darkened instantly. He stepped forward, grabbed my arm hard enough to bruise, and spoke through clenched teeth.

“Say you’re sorry. Right now.”

I stared at him, disbelief crashing over me. This was the man who once stood in front of me against every accusation, every whisper. The man who once promised he would always protect me. And now he looked at me like I was a problem to be dealt with.

“She insulted my parents,” I said, my voice shaking but clear enough for everyone to hear. “She mocked how they died. I will never apologize for defending them.”

His eyes grew colder, his grip tightening painfully. But I pulled my arm free, tears finally spilling down my cheeks.

Once, he would have believed me. Once, he would have fought for me.

Now… I was nothing to him.

I turned and walked away, every step heavy under the weight of the stares burning into my back. My wolf howled inside me, a cry filled with grief and betrayal.

At the exit, I paused, desperate to escape, to leave the humiliation behind. But a gentle hand caught mine.

Elder Naomi.

“Please, child,” she said softly, her eyes filled with sorrow. “Stay for a little while longer. For me. Just an hour.”

My heart twisted painfully. She was the only one who had never left me, the only one who still saw me as family. I couldn’t refuse her.

So I nodded quietly, wiped away my tears, and turned away from the doors. Instead of leaving, I walked back into the hall, searching for a quiet corner where I could breathe—somewhere the whispers couldn’t follow me.

Third Person POV

By now, the entire pack had heard the whispers trailing after Alpha Kael of Dravenwood—his broken betrothal to Aria and the sudden presence of the omega girl, Livia, lingering at his side.

Elder Naomi, Kael’s mother, saw it all too clearly. She had spent decades standing beside her Alpha husband, carrying the weight of the pack with him, and she understood how quickly honor could be shattered when emotions clouded judgment. What she feared most was simple and devastating—that her son would lose himself completely to the omega and erase Aria from his life as if their bond had never existed.

So she kept Kael occupied. She guided him across the hall, placing him among other Alphas, Betas, and council elders, ensuring he was busy with polite conversation and the duties expected of his rank. Meanwhile, Livia found herself alone, her wide, searching gaze drifting over the crowd until her feet led her toward the banquet tables.

That was where trouble found her.

Ryan, one of Dravenwood’s merchants and a man infamous for his wandering eye, cornered Livia near the wine. His breath smelled of alcohol, his gaze sharp with desire as he leaned far too close. “A delicate little omega like you shouldn’t be standing here by yourself,” he slurred. “Come with me. I’ll show you a kind of luxury that Alpha can’t give you. You’ll forget all about him.”

Livia stiffened, panic filling her eyes as tears gathered. “P-please… don’t do this.”

Ryan only grinned, his fingers brushing along her arm.

The growl came first—low, dangerous—before the hand could move further. Alpha Kael appeared as if summoned by the threat itself, his presence slicing through the crowd like a blade. Wolves nearby immediately lowered their heads as the weight of his aura surged outward.

“She belongs to me,” Kael snarled, his voice echoing with power. “No one lays a hand on her.”

Ryan, bold in his drunkenness, laughed. “Belongs to you? Isn’t Aria your fiancée? Then why—”

Kael’s restraint shattered. “I said Livia is mine!” he roared.

The hall fell silent. Conversations died where they stood. Every wolf in Dravenwood turned to witness the declaration. Aria, seated quietly in a shadowed corner where fewer eyes lingered, heard him clearly. Her body stiffened, but her expression remained composed, as if she had expected nothing else.

But the next moment still pierced her like a blade.

Kael pulled Livia to him and kissed her—hard, possessive, in full view of everyone present. When he pulled away, Livia trembled, leaning into his chest as though that place had always belonged to her.

Then Kael lifted his voice again, making sure every wolf heard. “Livia saved my life. Any wolf who dares touch her answers to me. I will kill without hesitation.”

Murmurs burst across the hall. Once, those same voices had praised Aria as the perfect future Luna—graceful, noble, worthy. Now they circled Livia instead, offering comfort, whispering that she was safe, that none of this was her fault. Aria watched it all with a hollow detachment.

Without addressing anyone, she inclined her head in a shallow bow and turned toward the exit. Her phone buzzed—Elder Naomi’s name lighting the screen. Aria stepped aside, her voice quiet as she answered. “Elder… forgive me. I think it’s best if I leave.”

Naomi’s voice wavered with guilt. “Child, I am so sorry.”

Aria had nearly reached the outer corridor when a rough hand seized her arm and yanked her back. The smell of wine hit her first. Ryan.

“Well now,” he slurred, his eyes gleaming. “Why should I waste time chasing an omega when you’re right here? Noble blood, refined beauty—you’d be far more satisfying.”

Disgust twisted in Aria’s stomach. Her voice dropped, cold and sharp. “You dare lay hands on me within Dravenwood territory? Think carefully before you make that mistake.”

Ryan only chuckled, leaning closer. “Alpha Kael used to guard you like treasure. Now he barely spares you a glance. That means you’re fair game, doesn’t it?”

He leaned in, his mouth lowering toward hers—but Aria shoved him back with all her strength, her wolf snapping beneath her skin. With shaking hands, she pressed the emergency rune on her phone—a direct line to her Alpha.

The call connected. “Alpha,” she said quickly, panic threading her voice, “Ryan—he’s trying to force himself on me. I need you—”

Kael’s response was a heavy, impatient sigh. “Aria, enough with the games.”

Her heart dropped. “I’m telling the truth—”

“I won’t be fooled. Livia was just harassed, and now you’re pretending? Stop humiliating yourself.” His tone turned to ice—and the line went dead.

She tried reaching him through the mind-link again and again. Silence answered every attempt.

Ryan lunged once more. Aria shifted instantly, her wolf sleek and pale, eyes blazing with fury. She darted past him, claws scraping against the stone, and raced up the stairs.

Fate placed salvation in her path.

Elder Naomi stood near the balcony, turning in alarm as the white she-wolf approached. Aria shifted back into her human form, trembling, sweat dampening her skin.

“Elder,” she gasped, words stumbling over fear and humiliation, “Ryan… he tried to—”

Naomi’s expression hardened, fury blazing in her eyes. “Enough. You’re safe now.” She wrapped Aria in her shawl and turned sharply to the nearby wolves. “Escort her to the guest chamber. Prepare fresh clothes and hot water immediately.”

The maids hurried to obey. Hours passed before Aria’s trembling eased, before the scent of fear faded from her skin. But whatever fragile calm she found shattered the moment she stepped outside and overheard voices drifting from the hall.

Kael’s voice.

“What if Aria was telling the truth?” Beta Lewis asked cautiously.

“She’s in Dravenwood territory,” Kael replied with a dismissive scoff. “Who would dare? Her background is respectable enough, even if she lost her parents early. Ryan wouldn’t risk it.”

A brief pause followed. Then Kael added, his tone cold with contempt, “But if he did, then so be it. She deserves it for all her dramatic talk about ending our engagement.”

A few of the officials chuckled.

“So the future Luna means nothing now,” one of them remarked.

Kael gave a short grunt. “She still has her place. But Livia—Livia is my sworn debt to the Moon Goddess, sealed in blood. She comes first.”

Aria stood frozen in the hallway, every word carving into her. Important? The word almost made her laugh. Important—yet left to fight alone. Important—yet dismissed as a liar when she begged for help. Important—yet not worth protecting when another woman so much as shed a tear.

Her hands curled into fists, nails biting into her palms. The word had never sounded so empty.

When she finally descended the stairs, Elder Naomi was waiting for her. The older woman reached out, sorrow etched into every line of her face. “Child… forgive my son. He has lost his way.”

Aria shook her head slowly, forcing a faint smile. “Elder… I can’t stay here anymore.”

Naomi’s voice trembled. “Please. Stay—for me, if not for him.”

But Aria lifted her chin, her wolf steady and resolute behind her gaze. “I’ve already agreed to an arranged match in the capital. My aunt arranged it. Maybe… maybe I’ll find peace there.”

Naomi’s shoulders slumped, resignation heavy in her sigh. “If that is your choice, I will not stand in your way. Just promise me one thing.”

Aria’s voice softened. “What is it?”

“Come visit me,” Naomi said quietly. “I have no daughter but you.”

For the first time that night, warmth flickered in Aria’s eyes. She stepped forward and rested her forehead gently against Naomi’s shoulder.

“I promise.”

Aria’s POV

The drive back to the pack house passed in near silence, broken only by the quiet rumble of the engine and the driver’s occasional exhale. But quiet never lasted whenever fate decided to press its weight on me.

The driver’s phone rang. He answered, and before he could lower the volume, Alpha Kael’s voice burst through the speakers, sharp and edged with urgency.

“Where are you now? How long until you return?”

The driver straightened at once. “We’re on the way back, Alpha.”

Kael’s voice sounded tight, almost panicked. “Make it fast. Livia is weak—I need her brought to the healers immediately.”

My body went still, my fingers curling against the fabric of my dress. Of course. Even now, it was her. It was always her.

The driver hesitated, then glanced at me in the mirror. “Alpha… Luna Aria is shaken. She asked to be taken back to the pack house first.”

The title Luna struck like a whip across my skin. I almost laughed at the hollow irony. I had never truly been Luna—not once. There had been no ceremony, no bond, no mark. Just an empty name he forced the servants to use, as if a word could cover the truth. He had once sworn to me—before the Moon Goddess herself—that he would marry me or die trying. And yet here we stood, with nothing but broken promises between us.

His answer came quickly, cold and absolute. “Why are you worrying about an outsider instead of following my order?”

Outsider.

The word tore through me like claws. My chest burned, but when I leaned forward, my voice stayed calm. “Stop the car here,” I said.

The driver looked alarmed. “But—”

“Please. Just stop,” I insisted. I wouldn’t force him to choose between me and his Alpha.

The car slowed, then halted. I stepped out onto the roadside, the night air of Dravenwood wrapping around me in a biting chill. The alcohol I’d had earlier still clouded my head, and my steps felt unsteady as I started down the road. Lanterns flickered faintly ahead, each one too far apart, each step heavier than the last.

And my thoughts drifted back.

The same gathering. The same night. One year ago.

Back then, I had been the one doubled over in pain, my stomach twisting so hard I could barely breathe. Kael had been drunk, his voice slurred, his balance uneven. But the moment he saw me collapse, he didn’t hesitate. He shifted, his wolf lowering so I could hold onto his fur. He carried me all the way to the infirmary, his heartbeat thunderous against me, his scent wrapping me in safety.

That had been then.

Now, on the same night, he left me to walk alone while he hurried to Livia’s side.

By the time I reached the pack house, my hands trembled from the cold. I stood before the door, staring at it as though it no longer belonged to me. My fingers fumbled with the key. Just as I was about to turn it, hands suddenly covered my eyes from behind.

“Can you tell who it is?”

I recognized the scent immediately. My wolf tensed. Alpha Kael.

A scream nearly escaped me, but I forced it down, pulling away from him with a calm I didn’t feel. I no longer played along with his games.

He frowned at my reaction, his gaze sharp even in the dim light. “Mother said you left something here.”

When I looked down, he held out a box—one I knew instantly, its shape too familiar to mistake. My pulse jumped.

I snatched it from him without thinking. “Give that back.”

His eyebrow lifted. “You’re hiding things from me now?”

I pressed the box to my chest. Once, long ago, we had made a promise—no secrets, no lies. For fifteen years we had shared everything. Until Livia came. Until every vow he made turned to dust.

“It isn’t anything you need to know,” I said softly. “There’s no reason to explain it to you.”

His expression darkened. He reached for it again. “No reason? Did some man give you this? Is that why you’re keeping it from me?”

I turned away, holding it tighter. He let out a low chuckle, as if the moment reminded him of the past—of our childish games, our playful struggles over small trinkets that always ended in laughter.

But I didn’t laugh. My throat tightened, and tears spilled before I could stop them.

He paused. “You’re crying? Just because you won’t tell me what’s inside?”

I shook my head, words trapped in my chest. I wasn’t crying over the box. I was crying because he had reduced me to this—because the man who once carried me to safety now placed another woman above me without hesitation.

For a moment, I almost gave in. Almost handed it over, thinking that if he saw what was inside, he might at least return it gently. But then her name filled the silence again.

Kael’s phone lit up. Livia.

The call rang once. Twice. Again and again, relentless.

Kael’s gaze flickered, his body tensing.

Without thinking, I caught his arm, stopping him. The movement surprised even me. His eyes widened slightly, a flicker of something like hope passing through them—as if my touch still meant something. But the phone kept vibrating, insistent and urgent.

He sighed heavily. “I’m worried. She wouldn’t keep calling unless it was serious.”

Of course.

My hand dropped away. “Just give it to me,” I whispered.

For a moment he hesitated, caught between the two of us. Then he pushed the box back into my hands with little care.

It slipped.

The lid cracked open as it hit the ground, and a single sheet of paper fluttered out, settling at my feet.

I bent down, breath catching the moment I saw it.

The engagement papers.

The one document that could end everything—cleanly, legally, finally.

Kael barely spared it a glance before looking away. His phone rang again. This time he answered, his voice softening instantly as he spoke Livia’s name. Then he turned and walked off, not once looking back.

I stood there alone in the cold night, clutching the paper to my chest. My tears blurred the ink, but I could still read every word.

This was the end.